If you have enough space in your front or back yard, consider if a porch would be a good idea for your family. A porch provides additional space for lounging or dining while enhancing the appearance and value of your home. You'll need to work with a porch builder to create a design that matches the architecture of your home and that fills your needs. Here are some steps involved in building a new porch.

Set Your Budget And Choose A Design

The first step is to work with a porch builder to create a design that fits your budget. The builder may come to your property to ensure a porch would fit with local code regulations and to help you determine the size and style of your porch.

If you just want space to sit in a rocker and grow container plants, you might want an open porch that allows plenty of daylight to still reach the interior of your home. However, you might prefer an enclosed or screened porch so it's more useful during different weather conditions and seasons.

Prepare For Building The Porch

You'll need to get your building plans approved by the codes office and obtain a permit. You'll also need to have your utility companies mark utility lines before digging begins. You might also need to involve an electrician and plumber if your utilities will be affected during the construction.

Add The Porch To Your Home

A simple front porch can be built fairly quickly. However, the porch builder may need to pour a concrete foundation first and let it dry thoroughly before work progresses after that point. The foundation must slope away from the house so your yard drains properly. Once the foundation is ready, the builder completes your porch with a roof and knee wall or railings as you have planned.

A porch is similar to a deck, but a front porch usually has finished touches since it's attached to the front of your home. That means you'll probably want attractive flooring, a finished ceiling, and coordinating paint color or siding on the knee wall. Since a porch is covered, you can even add a ceiling fan or lights and decorate your new outdoor room with furniture and colorful pillows to make your porch welcoming to guests.

The final step in building a new porch is having an inspection by your codes office. Porch builders usually arrange the final inspection as well as the permit process so you don't have to worry about it. However, it's an important part of the building process so your home has the necessary documents for the addition when you're ready to put your home on the market. 

For more information, contact a local porch contractor. 

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